Portside Peril (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 2) (10 page)

Her decision lasted until the moment she exited the theater where she ran into Chloe Earhart.

“Oh!  I’ve been looking for you!” the young woman exclaimed.

Millie cast a nervous glance behind her. She shifted Scout’s carrier to her other hand.  “Oh. What’s up?”

Chloe grabbed Millie’s arm and pulled her to the side.  “I think I know what happened to Kyle and Courtney.”  Now Millie had every intention of turning over the investigation, but this was like a sign from heaven.  It was like God dropping it right back into her lap.

She frowned.  What harm could there be in at least listening to what Chloe had to say?  “Let’s head over to the…” She paused.  They needed a nice quiet spot to talk.  Somewhere off the beaten path.  “Let’s head up to the spa.”

The spa area was like a ghost town.  One of the staff, who looked vaguely familiar, nodded to Millie.  Millie had seen her around before but the spa staff worked for an outside company.  They didn’t work for the cruise line, which hopefully, meant that they had no idea what was going on.

The two settled on a bench seat to the left of the locker room.  “What’ve you got?”

“This.” Chloe pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. She shoved it into Millie’s hand.  “Proof that Courtney did not write the suicide note.  This is her handwriting.”

Millie frowned at the paper.  She slipped her glasses on her nose then reached into her pocket to pull out her cell phone.  She scrolled through the pictures until she reached the one she had taken of the note Courtney had supposedly written.  Chloe was right.  The handwriting was similar but not the same.

Of course, Courtney had been inebriated at the time of her death so it was possible she just didn’t have the same steady hand she would’ve had if she had been sober.

Chloe pointed at the letter “T.” “See how that loops around?” Millie nodded.  “Courtney’s “T’s” were more rigid and taller. 

Millie studied the “T.” There certainly was a difference. She glanced at the young girl.  “But that doesn’t mean that Courtney didn’t write this note.”

“And what about the outfit that Courtney had on?” she argued.  “We both know that wasn’t the outfit she was wearing when she died.  The outfit belonged to Melissa West.”

Chloe had valid points and Millie agreed with her.  It was just that she promised to butt out…to let it go.  But this poor girl had just lost her twin sister!  She sighed.  “I don’t know…” her voice trailed off.

Millie remembered the couple talking to the Wests as they exited the theater the night before.  “How come you never told me there was another couple cruising with you?” Her eyes narrowed.

Millie had caught Chloe off guard.  A flicker of uncertainty crossed her face, which she quickly replaced with a look of nonchalance.  “You mean Justin and Kim Bain?” She waved her hand dismissively.  “I barely know them.  Courtney barely knew them.”

Chloe paused as a thought occurred to her.  “Kyle knew them. He went to college with Justin.  He and the Wests.  They all went to college together.”

Millie was missing an angle here.  It was almost as if it was right under her nose.  So close, she couldn’t get it.  Couldn’t put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Millie’s eyes wandered to the clock on the wall. She remembered telling the Bain’s, Maisie’s parents, that she would bring Scout back to the same spot yesterday if they wanted to stop by and see him again.  It was that time right about now!

She stood.  “I have to head out, Chloe.”  She glanced around, making certain she was out of earshot.  “Let me get back with you, okay?”

Chloe’s eyes filled with tears.  “I don’t know where to turn.” A lone tear rolled down her cheek.  “You see, I have to do this for Court. I owe it to her.”

Chloe pressed on.  “Did you notice the door connecting Kyle and Courtney’s room?  The door that connected with Adam and Melissa West’s room?  Wouldn’t that give them the perfect opportunity to sneak in and kill Courtney?”

Millie frowned. 
And then there was Zack. 

Of course, the Wests
had
been up on deck when Kyle went over.

Millie looked down at Chloe’s tear-stained face and her heart melted.  She vowed then and there to do what she could to help Chloe.  She couldn’t imagine the heartbreak she felt over her sister’s death. 

On her way to the upper deck, Millie ran over the list of suspects in her mind.  Adam and Melissa West since their cabin adjoined with Kyle and Courtney’s room and Zack, who happened to be at the scene of Kyle going overboard. 

Chloe, who was head over heels in love with Kyle.  If she killed Kyle, why on earth would she kill her own sister - a twin sister at that? Then there was the mysterious couple – Maisie’s parents. 

With determined steps, Millie and her sidekick, Scout, wandered to the outer deck to wait for Justin and Kim Bain to make an appearance.

Millie and Scout settled into the bistro table next to the sliding glass doors.  It was the exact same spot that they had been in the day before.  Millie’s stomach grumbled.  The square dancing had worked up her appetite.

Scout let out a low whine.  Millie reached in to pet him.  “I bet you’re as hungry as I am.” She glanced at her watch.  If Maisie and her parents didn’t show up in the next five minutes, Millie vowed to head inside for some food.

After that, it would be time to take Scout back to the captain’s quarters.  Her heart fluttered at the thought of seeing Captain Armati again.  The flutter quickly flattened when she remembered someone was trying to squash her sleuthing.  It didn’t seem fair.  Somehow, some way, she was going to solve these murders!

She quickly decided that after she dropped Scout off, she would stop by to see Cat. Maybe she could come up with an idea on how Millie could stay involved, yet still fly “under the radar.”

Millie craned her neck and stared down the length of the deck.  The couple had either forgotten about Millie or shown up earlier, before she got there. She hopped out of the chair. “C’mon Scout.  Let’s go get some chow.”

She grabbed the carrier handle and pushed her chair in.

“Maisie!  They’re over there!”

Millie whirled around.  Coming her way was Maisie and her parents!  Millie pulled the chair out and plopped back down.  She opened the carrier, lifted Scout and set him on the table.

Maisie made a beeline for the dog. “Pick up?” The little girl’s innocent blue eyes begged Millie. 

Millie nodded.  “Have a seat, Maisie.”

Maisie obediently sat in the seat across from Millie, who gently set Scout in her lap.  “Scout.”

“It-it’s like a miracle,” Maisie’s father whispered hoarsely.  He lowered to Maisie’s eye level.  “Maisie, would you like to get a dog – just like Scout?”

Her blonde head bobbed up and down.  “Yes, Daddy.  Just like Scout.”

Maisie’s mother burst into tears. She turned her back to the table.  Long, painful sobs wracked her thin frame.  Millie’s heart was breaking.  She turned to Maisie’s father.  “Will you watch them?”

His tear-filled eyes gazed into Millie’s own. “Yes.”

Millie put her arm around Kim Bain’s shoulder and led her away from the table and over to the railing, out of earshot of the table – and Maisie.  “I don’t mean to pry, dear. I can see that something has traumatized your young daughter.”

Millie turned back to gaze at Maisie and Scout.  Maisie had set Scout on the bistro table and he was showing off.  Maisie was giggling as she watched him bounce around in a circle.

“If you don’t mind my asking – what happened to make Maisie stop talking?” She sucked in her breath and prayed the woman would spill the beans. 

“There was a fire.  Our house.  It burned to the ground a few weeks ago.” Her eyes slid to her young daughter and husband.  “We barely made it out alive.”

She turned to gaze out at the ocean.  “I don’t understand. Somehow, our smoke alarms - they never went off.”

She wiped the tears with the back of her hand.  “We almost died. We
almost
died.  Our dog, Willie, didn’t survive.  Maisie was heartbroken.  She stopped talking.”

Her shoulders sagged.  “We thought the cruise would help. Take her mind off losing Willie and bring her back to us.”

“It didn’t look like it was going to work.”  She went on.  “Not until yesterday when she saw Scout.”

The woman impulsively reached out and hugged Millie.  “Thank you so much for sharing Scout with us.  It has truly changed our lives.  Saved our Maisie.”

Now Millie was about to burst into tears.  It was one of the saddest stories she had ever heard.  Something about the story stuck in Millie’s head. “Did the fire department tell you why the smoke alarms didn’t work?”

Kim Bain shook her head.  “No The house was so far gone, the alarms burned to a crisp.  They melted down to nothing.”

After the Bains left, Millie wandered inside with Scout.  Kyle goes overboard. Courtney overdoses. The Bain’s house burns to the ground. Was there connection?  If so, what – or who – was it?

Millie and Scout filled a plate with goodies.  A small sliver of roasted chicken for Scout.  Roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy along with a side of corn and mouth-watering baked macaroni and cheese.  Comfort food…the perfect thanksgiving dinner.

Millie glanced out at the bright sunny day.  It was already October.  Although it sure didn’t feel like October in the Caribbean.  Every day felt like the middle of summer.  She wondered how she would feel when Thanksgiving rolled around.   

Millie’s first break wasn’t until mid-February.  This year would be the first holiday season she could remember that she wouldn’t be with her children…her family.

She shoved the thought to the back of her mind and pressed on down the food line. She reminded herself that this job was an experiment.  If it didn’t work out, she could return to her dull, meaningless existence at the end of her contract.

Scout was shifting back and forth inside his carrier.  He smelled all the goodies and Millie was certain he was as hungry as she was.

She plucked a plastic glass from a nearby stack and filled it with water from the fountain.  Next, she grabbed a small saucer and headed to a corner table.  Millie cut the chicken into tiny pieces and placed them in the center of the napkin. She placed the napkin inside the carrier. 

Next, she poured a small bit of water in the bottom of the dish and set it next to the food.

Scout licked Millie’s hand and then dug into his treat.  Millie watched as the pint-size pup inhaled the goodies.  Millie wondered if the captain had remembered to feed Scout before they left the bridge earlier. 

He lapped up the entire saucer of water.  Millie refilled the makeshift water dish. Scout promptly drank most of that and then stopped.  He began to whine.

Millie’s fork full of food was halfway to her mouth.  That whine. It sound all too familiar. It was the sound Daisy used to make when she needed to go out. It was the sound of a pup who needed a potty break!

Millie’s eyes darted around the room.  There was no way Scout could take care of his business in here! 

Millie shoveled several large bites of food into her mouth while Scout continued to whine. She needed to find a place for Scout to go – and fast.  She threw her napkin on top of her dirty dishes and left them on the table. 

She grabbed Scout’s carrier and they headed for the door.

Millie was desperate.  There was only one place she could think of that Scout would recognize. Millie took the stairs two at a time as she bolted to the top deck in the direction of the mini golf course. 

At the edge of the course, she unzipped the bag and Scout darted out.  He made a beeline for the second hole…the one with the plastic palm tree, its shiny green palm fronds blowing in the breeze. 

Scout lifted his leg and watered the bottom.  Next, he tried to tear up the turf as he pawed at the fake grass with his back feet.

Millie covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. 

“Mommy, that doggy just peed on the side of that tree.” A young boy was standing nearby, watching Scout in action.

Millie scooted across the fake grass.  She lifted Scout, popped him into the carrier and darted off the deck. 

“Sorry Scout.  Next time I’ll be sure to find a more appropriate place and plan for more frequent breaks,” she promised.

“Ruff.” Scout didn’t seem to mind. He seemed peppy now, enjoying the open space of the mini golf course.  It was like a built-for-Scout playground!

She grabbed the handle of the carrier.  “I need to take you home.”

Captain Armati was nowhere in sight when Millie and Scout stepped into the bridge.  Millie wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed. 

Someone Millie didn’t recognize was studying the computer screen.  It was a woman, her blonde hair pulled into a long ponytail that trailed down her back. 

The woman turned when she heard Millie. She could have sworn the woman glared at her. She turned around, leaned a hip against the side of the massive screen, and crossed her arms.

“Ah. The infamous Millie Sanders.” The woman spoke in a heavy accent.  One that Millie couldn’t quite place but guessed it might be Russian.

Millie stepped closer, her eyes reading the tag on the woman’s shirt.  “Ingrid Kozlov.” Yeah, Millie was sure the name was Russian. 

Millie tightened her grip on the carrier. “Is Captain Armati around?”

The woman gave a curt nod in the direction of the captain’s quarters.  “He’s in there.”

Millie nodded.

The woman glared.

Millie could feel the woman’s eyes bore into her back as she and Scout headed down the small hall. 

Millie softly tapped on the door and waited.  There was no answer.

She knocked a second time, this time a bit louder.  There was still no answer.

The hair on the back of Millie’s neck stood up.  Someone was watching her.  She glanced back and Ingrid was directly behind the hallway, her eyes shot daggers at Millie. 

Millie took a deep breath and rapped sharply on the metal door.

Captain heard it that time.  The door swung wide open and the two of them came face-to-face.  The captain’s scowl quickly changed to a soft smile.  “Millie.  I was starting to worry.”

He waved her in and quickly closed the door behind them.  Millie’s eyes scanned the room.  He was eating lunch all alone!

“I-I’m sorry.  I didn’t meant to interrupt.”

“No.  It’s okay.” He shrugged.  “I can eat in the dining room but sometimes, I would rather dine alone.”

Millie knew exactly how he must feel.  He must dread it even more than she did.  What with having to suck up to the guests who were complete strangers and making small talk.

“I don’t blame you.” She handed Scout and the carrier to him and turned to go.  “Tomorrow is island day.  I have to be on the first shuttle to shore.”

Captain Armati nodded.  “I understand. Scout will miss you.” He unzipped the carrier and Scout hopped out.  “We’ll see you the next morning?”

“Yes. Of course.” She turned to go.  She wasn’t sure if Scout was going to miss her.  She hoped that not only Scout, but maybe his master would miss her a little, too.

Millie avoided the gaze of the woman on the bridge as she made her way out.  Millie was certain a set of shifty eyes followed her out.